Top 36 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga (original) (raw)
April 2020
Autobiographical comics can take us to exceptional places, physical and mental, which we might never experience ourselves. Drawn by the hand and the heart, these singular, first-person intimacies allow us to see and feel the world through different eyes. Mongrel, the outstanding and pertinent debut of British Muslim author Sayra Begum, takes us behind closed doors and deep into the spiritual turmoil dividing a family. We can also be transported by Adrian Tomine’s unvarnished confessionals as a cartoonist and Jean-Marc Rochette’s elevated elation at mountaineering…
Governments shooting their own citizens is sadly nothing new, and these revealing analyses of student massacres in China and the USA are important both as history and as reflections of dissent today…
From Argentina and China come translations of major works, including the debut at long last of Zao Dao in English…
While Tardi and Blutch, two of France’s greatest graphic storytellers, return with some of their all-time greatest stories…
And finally, a mammoth, century-spanning tome of original artworks by some of Britain’s most brilliant comics creators. Choose from these and more wonderful graphic novels, all on their way from April 2020 onwards…
Altitude
by Olivier Bocquet & Jean-Marc Rochette
SelfMadeHero
£16.99 / $25.99
The publisher says:
An exhilarating graphic novel about the thrill and the terror of mountaineering. At 16, bivouacked on a mountainside beneath a sky filled with stars, Jean-Marc Rochette has already begun measuring himself against some of Europe’s highest peaks. The Aiguille Dibona, the Coup de Sabre, La Meije: The summits of the Massif des écrins in the French Alps, to which he escapes as a teenager, spark both exhilaration and fear. At times, they are a playground for adventure. At others, they are a battlefield. The young climber is acutely aware that death lurks in the frozen corridors of this Alpine range. In Altitude, Rochette tells the story of his formative years, as a climber and as an artist. Part coming-of-age story, part love letter to the Alps, this autobiographical graphic novel captures the thrill and the terror invoked by high mountains, and considers one man’s obsession with reaching the top of them. Jean-Marc Rochette is a French comic book artist. He is the creator of numerous graphic novels, including Snowpiercer, which was adapted into an acclaimed film. Olivier Bocquet is a comic book writer and the author of numerous graphic novels. 296pgs colour hardcover.
Apsara Engine
by Bishakh Som
The Feminist Press at CUNY
$24.95
The publisher says:
By turns fantastical and familiar, this graphic short story collection is immersed in questions of gender, the body and existential conformity. The eight delightfully eerie stories in Apsara Engine are a subtle intervention into everyday reality. A woman drowns herself in a past affair, a tourist chases another guest into an unforeseen past, and a nonbinary academic researches postcolonial cartography. Imagining diverse futures and rewriting old mythologies, these comics delve into strange architectures, fetishism, and heartbreak. Painted in rich, sepia-toned watercolors, Apsara Engine is Bishakh Som’s highly anticipated debut work of fiction. Showcasing a series of fraught, darkly humorous, and seemingly alien worlds—which ring all too familiar—Som captures the weight of twenty-first-century life as we hurl ourselves forward into the unknown. Bishakh Som is an artist, illustrator and writer whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, BuzzFeed, the Boston Review and the Brooklyn Rail, among others. Her books include Apsara Engine, Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir and The Prefab Bathroom: An Architectural History, and she was also a contributor to We’re Still Here: An All-Trans Comics Anthology. Som is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Winner of the 2020 Los Angeles Times Graphic Novel Prize. 250pgs colour paperback.
Art Life
by Catherine Ocelot
Conundrum Press / BDANG
$20.00
The publisher says:
Catherine Ocelot wonders about her place as an artist, digging into the layers of what it means to live this Art Life. In her search for answers, she talks with seven artists from different disciplines who express their doubts, their struggles, their ambitions and their sometimes-wise and sometimes-funny observations. The author stages these encounters with finesse and wit, and echoes them with scenes from her own life. Art Life is a tragicomic tale tinged with fantasy that explores the impact of others on oneself, led by an artist who slowly comes to understand herself. Catherine Ocelot is a Montreal-based cartoonist originally from Quebec City. Beginning her career at the CBC as a designer and art director, she has collaborated on a variety of television, publishing and, occasionally, performance projects. Her work explores communication: our ways of speaking to one another, and the influence people have on each other. She brings to light the wondrous and sad moments that are woven into the fabric of relationships, with a playful melancholic humour. Art Life is her third book and first in English. 208pgs colour paperback.
Bix
by Scott Chantler
Gallery 13
$29.99
The publisher says:
Told in stunning illustrations, Bix is a near-wordless graphic biography highlighting the career of Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s next to the legendary Louis Armstrong. Composing and recording some of the landmark music in the early history of genre, Bix struggled with personal demons, facing the disapproval of his conservative parents and an increasing dependence on alcohol. Told mostly in silent panels to reflect his outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than musical terms, Bix tells the story of the rapid rise and tragic fall of a musical legend – a metaphor for the glories and risks inherent in the creative life. Scott Chantler is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels Two Generals, Northwest Passage and the Three Thieves series, which won a Joe Shuster Award. He has also been nominated for five Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards and a Doug Wright Award. 256pgs colour hardcover.
Bog Bodies
by Declan Shalvey, Gavin Fullerton & Rebecca Nalty
Image
$12.99
The publisher says:
An Irish gangster on the run after a job gone wrong stumbles upon a young woman lost in the Dublin mountains. Injured and unarmed, the unlikely pair must try to evade their pursuers and survive the desolate bog that has served as a burial ground for unspeakable murder throughout history. Declan Shalvey (Injection, Savage Town) and Gavin Fullerton (Bags) deliver a cold and poignant story of crime, survival and regret. 96pgs colour paperback.
Cuisine Chinoise: Tales of Food and Life
by Zao Dao, translated by Brendan Kander & Diana Schutz
Dark Horse
$19.99
The publisher says:
From the mind of prodigy cartoonist Zao Dao comes Cuisine Chinoise: Tales of Food and Life featured here in English for the first time! From insects looking for a meal made of ghosts to a man named Yuzi whose passion for cooking is the only hope of maintaining a family legacy, these wonderfully illustrated stories explore the rich and humorous lives of the characters within. This volume showcases the wonderful relationship between Chinese folklore and culture and food. A virtuoso cartoonist and illustrator, Zao Dao is one of the youngest artists of the Chinese avant-garde. Born July 1990 in southern China’s Guangdong Province, she began publishing her work on the Internet in 2011. Already universally recognised throughout her own country for her talent as a watercolour artist, Zao Dao evinces a highly original drawing style, blending traditional elements of Chinese painting with a modern graphic sensibility, adding textural effects through her choice of paper surface. While the characters formed at the tip of her brush might at times cast their author as an eccentric young rebel, the ageless pursuit of freedom remains her principal pledge of creativity. 96pgs colour hardcover.
Cinema Purgatorio: Collected Edition
by Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill
Avatar Press
$19.99
The publisher says:
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill invite you take a trip through the dark recesses of cinema, in their first major project together since League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The power of movies, the people behind it, the damage it has done, and the story of one woman forced to bare her soul, is all unspooled one short film at a time. Every chapter is radically different, yet all weaved into one tapestry of breathtaking complexity as only Alan Moore could do. This collection has all eighteen chapters for the complete story. 168pgs B&W paperback.
Clayton. : Godfather of Lower East Side Documentary
by Julian Voloj & various artists
$21.99
The publisher says:
For the first time ever, legendary photographer and videographer Clayton Patterson is the subject of a biographical graphic novel anthology. Like no other, Clayton has documented the often-overlooked people and cultural contributions of New York’s Lower East Side, sometimes finding himself in perilous situations as a result. Clayton lived at the intersection of numerous underground cultures, from drag queens to punks, gangbangers to tattoo artists, an icon of an increasingly vanishing New York. Now, in the tradition of Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor, eighteen artists pay tribute to him in this graphic novel anthology. Julian Voloj is a photographer and writer, based in New York. Born in Germany to Colombian parents, his critically-acclaimed work has been featured in The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The New York Times and other national and international publications. He lives in New York City. 112pgs colour hardcover.
Dancing After Ten
by Vivian Chong & Georgia Webber
Fantagraphics
$24.99
The publisher says:
In late 2004, a rare skin disease, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, left Vivian Chong blind, forcing her to learn a new way of being in the world. She not only survived but thrived, discovering anew how to express herself creatively. Teaming up with cartoonist Georgia Webber to tell of her journey out of darkness and into the spotlight, she released her artistic vision in a variety of ways - including singing, stand-up, drumming, running and dance. To be released simultaneously with the debut of Chong’s dance-theatre production Dancing with the Universe, this graphic novel is an inspirational tale and a powerful work of graphic medicine. Vivian Chong is a visual artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, graphic novelist, drummer, potter, motivational speaker and the creator of a one-woman stand-up show. She lives in Toronto. Georgia Webber is a comics artist, writer and editor living in southern Ontario. 128pgs colour hardcover.
Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir
by Tyler Feder
Dial Books
$18.99
The publisher says:
Part poignant cancer memoir and part humorous reflection on a motherless life, this debut graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging. From before her mother’s first oncology appointment through the stages of her cancer to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter, Tyler Feder tells her story in this graphic novel that is full of piercing, but also often funny, details. This memoir, bracingly candid and sweetly humorous, is for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it. Tyler Feder is a full-time illustrator based in Chicago. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2011 with a BA in Radio/TV/Film and a certificate in Creative Writing for the Media. She further honed her comedic skills at the Second City Training Center, where she graduated from the writing program. In 2012, Tyler began posting her artwork online, and within five years she had grown her illustration company, Roaring Softly, into a recognisable brand with a mix of witty pop culture art and intersectional feminist pieces. She has illustrated for Netflix, Comedy Central, and ESPN, and is the illustrator of Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin’s Unladylike. 208pgs colour hardcover.
Finder: Chase The Lady
by Carla Speed McNeil
Dark Horse
$24.99
The publisher says:
Rachel Grosvenor doesn’t have time to celebrate her recent Llaverac clan victories, as every win seems come with a price. Her new title comes with too many responsibilities, her new home comes with too many expenses, and the Ascians who have adopted her fill her house with complications. Could Jaeger’s return be enough to quell the storm that’s brewing? Celebrate over twenty years of Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder with this new colour collection. 232pgs colour paperback.
Flake
by Matthew Dooley
Jonathan Cape
£18.99
The publisher says:
A stunning first graphic novel by a Cape/Comica/Observer graphic short story competition winner – a tale of a skirmish in the ice-cream wars that is worthy of Alan Bennett. In the small seaside town of Dobbiston, Howard sells ice creams from his van, just like his father before him. But when he notices a downturn in trade, he soon realises its cause: Tony Augustus, Howard’s half-brother, whose ice-cream empire is expanding all over the North-West… Flake, Matthew Dooley’s debut graphic novel, tells of how this epic battle turns out, and how Howard – helped by the Dobbiston Mountain Rescue team – overcomes every obstacle and triumphs in the end. 176pgs colour hardcover.
Friday Foster Collected
by rJim Lawrence, Jorge Longaron & Gray Morrow
Ablaze Publishing
$39.99
The publisher says:
The Friday Foster comic strip is the story of a former nightclub ‘camera bunny’ turned photographer’s assistant turned fashion model. With an innate inclination to help others and a natural beauty that makes her a magnet for men, Friday often finds herself in some very sticky situations and world-class adventures. The strip is generally cited as the first mainstream (i.e. nationally syndicated) comic strip starring a black character in the title role and features a mixture of adventure and romance, often with social commentary thrown in for good measure. The strip ran from 1970-1974. 280pgs part-colour hardcover.
From Hell: Master Edition
by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
IDW / Top Shelf / Knockabout
$49.99 / £37.85
The publisher says:
Jack is back-and this time, the blood is red. Five unsolved murders. Two of the greatest creators in the history of comics. One sprawling conspiracy, one metropolis on the brink of the twentieth century, and one bloody-minded Ripper ushering London into the modern age of terror. The award-winning bestseller From Hell, often ranked among the greatest graphic novels of all time, takes on haunting new dimensions in From Hell: Master Edition, enhanced with impressionistic hues and revisions by Eddie Campbell himself, along with all the original annotations by Alan Moore. Co-Published by Top Shelf Productions (US) and Knockabout (UK). 576pgs colour hardcover.
Giant
by Mikaël
NBM
$24.99
The publisher says:
New York, early 1930s. A mysterious, laconic Irish colossus known as “Giant” sweats blood, along with his fellow immigrants, to build the skyscrapers of Rockefeller Centre. For a while, he has not received a reply to the typewritten letters he continues to send, as well as money, to the other side of the ocean, to Mary Ann, the wife of one of his colleagues who died accidentally. Giant, who seems to be afraid of nothing, still has not found the courage to reveal to the young woman that she is a widow… What does her silence mean? An entrancing everyday working-class tale with the majestic background of the rising skyscrapers of New York. 120pgs colour hardcover.
Guyabano Holiday
by panpanya
Denpa Books
$13.95
The publisher says:
Beloved indie manga artist panpanya discovers the wonders of the Guyabano fruit and the Philippines. A trip to Tokyo’s Asian market district, Ameyokocho, leads the protrag on a trip to hunt down the mysterious guyabano fruit. Little does the protrag and their crew know that their curiosity will take them on a wild and mouth-watering trip to the Philippines. 210pgs B&W paperback.
I Know You Rider: A Memoir
by Leslie Stein
Drawn & Quarterly
$24.95
The publisher says:
I Know You Rider is Leslie Stein’s rumination on the many complex questions surrounding the decision to reproduce. Opening in an abortion clinic, the book accompanies Stein through a year of her life, steeped in emotions she was not quite expecting while also looking far beyond her own experiences. Instead of focusing on trauma, this is a story about unpredictability, change and adaptability, adding a much-needed new perspective to a topic often avoided or discussed through a black-and-white lens. Leslie Stein is the creator of the books Bright-Eyed at Midnight and Present, as well as the Eye of the Majestic Creature series. Her diary comics have been featured in The New Yorker, Vice and the Best American Comics anthology. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. 144pgs colour hardcover.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
by Derf Backderf
Abrams ComicArts
$24.99
The publisher says:
From bestselling author Derf Backderf comes the untold story of the Kent State shootings — timed for the 50th anniversary. On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard gunned down unarmed college students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University. In a deadly barrage of 67 shots, 4 students were killed and 9 shot and wounded. It was the day America turned guns on its own children — a shocking event burned into our national memory. A few days prior, 10-year-old Derf Backderf saw those same Guardsmen patrolling his nearby hometown, sent in by the governor to crush a trucker strike. Using the journalism skills he employed on My Friend Dahmer and Trashed, Backderf has conducted extensive interviews and research to explore the lives of these four young people and the events of those four days in May, when the country seemed on the brink of tearing apart. Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio, which will be published in time for the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, is a moving and troubling story about the bitter price of dissent — as relevant today as it was in 1970. 288pgs colour hardcover.
Kivu
by Jean Van Hamme & Christophe Simon
Cinebook
£7.99 / $15.95
The publisher says:
A powerful and thrilling adventure in the heart of one of the worst places on this world, a potential paradise turned into hell by human greed and barbarity. The province of Kivu in the Congo is rich in rare and precious minerals such as coltan, which is vital to our modern technology. However, that wealth is coveted by so many, within the Congo or abroad, that the entire region is a permanent bloodbath. François Daans, a young Belgian engineer working for an unscrupulous corporation, arrives in Kivu. His encounter with a young girl, survivor of the latest massacre, will be an eye-opening experience and force him to pick a side. 72pgs colour paperback.
Little Josephine: Memory in Pieces
by Valerie Villieu & Raphael Sarfati
Humanoids Inc. / Life Drawn
$17.99
The publisher says:
A visiting nurse takes on a patient with Alzheimer’s and is invited into her strange, beautiful and often unseen world. At times, caring for Josephine is like caring for an infant; other times, like being cared for by a grandmother. As Josephine slips further and further into the fog, her caretaker, Valerie, reflects on her own life and what it means to be someone’s keeper. Valérie Villieu has been a visiting nurse in the Paris region for about twenty years, while at the same time pursuing personal and collective creative projects, mostly pertaining to photographic arts. Little Josephine is one component of a collective work she initiated around the theme of old age entitled Vieux (“Old”) which was exhibited at the City of Sciences and Industry (Cité de la Santé) in Paris. Raphaël Sarfati is a bookstore keeper in a small village, as well as a comic book illustrator and an occasional vegetarian chef. He regularly collaborates with poetess Beatrice Brérot, searching for their common sequential language, and has been published in Bermuda 1,3,4,5 & X, from Expérience. But most of the time, he likes to let the days pass by, watching for the birds, and hoping for a haïku to come. 120pgs colour paperback.
Little Victories: Autism Through a Father’s Eyes
by Yvon Roy
Titan Comics
£17.99 / $19.99
The publisher says:
A beautiful visual exploration of the highs and lows experienced by a parent learning how to adapt to his son’s autism. Faced with a challenging road ahead, the author uses creative flair and ingenuity in order to connect with his son, enabling him to reach his fullest potential and prepare him for the transition into adulthood. This stunning insight into the nature of autism and the daily struggles of a parent uses humour and compassion to convey its message. This is the perfect creative outlet for anyone - from parent to teacher - looking for detailed information on the subject with a more personal touch. Yvon Roy won the Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society, as well receiving the INSPIREO High School Students Award for the most inspiring youth book, and the Literary Award for Citizenship from the Maine Teachers’ League. 143pgs colour paperback.
Masters of British Comic Art
by David Roach
Rebellion / 2000 AD
£39.99 / $50.00
The publisher says:
This wildly entertaining and educational tome is a journey through the history of British comics - from the birth of the 20th century to the 80s invasion of American comics by the likes of Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons and Kevin O’Neil (to name but a few), right up to today’s up-and-coming British art stars and the talents of tomorrow. Revealing the extraordinary history of the UK’s prolific comic book industry from the 19th Century to the 21st, this ground breaking volume celebrates the incredible artists who made a huge impact on British comics and would go on to revolutionise the industry on a global scale. Featuring a Who’s Who of talent, including Brian Bolland, Yvonne Hutton, Dave Gibbons, author and 2000 AD artist David Roach takes us on a journey through time detailing the surprising and fascinating evolution of the art from its humble beginnings to its current world-conquering status. 336pgs colour hardcover.
Medicine: A Graphic History
by Jean-Noel Fabiani & Philippe Bercovici
SelfMadeHero
£15.99 / $24.99
The publisher says:
In the Middle Ages, surgery was performed by barbers due to their skill with sharp instruments. In the mid-19th century, a “grand exhibition” of the effects of laughing gas inadvertently led to the discovery of anesthesia. Three decades later, Louis Pasteur enjoyed a crucial breakthrough in his search for vaccinations because his assistant decided, against his orders, to take a vacation. Here, cardiac surgeon and professor of medical history Jean-Noel Fabiani stitches together the most significant and intriguing episodes from the history of medicine, from chance breakthroughs to hard-fought scientific discoveries. Spanning centuries and crossing continents, this fast-paced and yet rigorously detailed graphic novel guides us through one of the most wondrous strands of human history, covering everything from blood-letting to organ donation, x-rays to prosthetics. Professor Jean-Noël Fabiani is a doctor at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris, where he heads the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery. He is also a professor at the University Paris-Descartes, where he spent a decade teaching the history of medicine. Philippe Bercovici is a comic book artist from Nice, France. Over forty years, he has published numerous comics and graphic novels. 240pgs colour paperback.
Mitchum
by Blutch
New York Review Comics
$24.95
The publisher says:
A star of French comics imagines America – its movie stars, its history, its fashion – in these tantalising graphic short stories about everything from love to, yes, the actor Robert Mitchum. Blutch is one of the most inventive storytellers in comics, and nothing reveals it like Mitchum. Serialised and collected in the mid-90s and never before available in English, this is Blutch at his most wide-ranging: from Puritan fever dreams to an encounter with a shape-shifting Robert Mitchum, Blutch builds stories out of his dreams, visions of America, and anything else he can get his hands on. Drawn in his unmistakable line that veers in a moment from crude to elegant, blotchy to crisp, horrific to serene, these comics show Blutch searching for new artistic frontiers. What he finds is sometimes surprising, occasionally unsettling, and endlessly fascinating. 232pgs B&W paperback.
Mongrel
by Sayra Begum
Knockabout Comics
£19.99 / $29.99
The publisher says:
Towards the end of 2017 Sayra Begum sent Knockabout a sample of her autobiographical graphic novel, Mongrel. This work was the best unsolicited manuscript they have seen for a very long time. It is rare for a new talent to produce such an ambitious long work. Sayra is both an accomplished and clever storyteller and an original artist in her layouts and drawing style. The story itself covers matters that are at the heart of our society’s current concerns: immigration, racism, mixed heritage relationships and inter-generational strife. The front door of Shuna’s family home acted as a gateway to Bangladesh. Nothing haram passed through this door, this was a devout house. When Shuna walked through this door, she switched her rebellious face to her pious face, which eagerly absorbed the teaching of the Prophet, striving to be a good Muslim girl. The switching between these two faces became increasingly difficult, as they grew further and further apart. ‘’Yes, yes, yes I’ll marry you’, I said to David. Although, after the celestial shock wore off and dull reality set in, I realised there was a slight problem. I would have to tell my very traditional parents that I was going to marry a non-Muslim and confess my secret life. It’s my wedding day. My parents are absent. I’m not surprised. Why would my parents want to celebrate their daughter’s eternal damnation in hell fire?’ 264pgs B&W hardcover.
Nori
by Rumi Hara
Drawn & Quarterly
$24.95
The publisher says:
A dulcet debut capturing a touching relationship between the spirited Nori and her grandma. Ignatz-nominated and MoCCA Arts Festival Award-winning cartoonist Rumi Hara invites you to visit her magical world. Nori (short for Noriko) is a spirited three-year-old girl who lives with her parents and grandmother in the suburbs of Osaka during the 1980s. While both parents work full-time, her grandmother is Nori’s caregiver and companion ― forever following after Nori as the three year old dashes off on fantastical adventures. One day Nori runs off to be met by an army of bats ― the symbol of happiness. Soon after, she is at school chasing a missing rabbit while performing as a moon in the school play, touching on the myth of the Moon Rabbit. A ditch by the side of the road opens a world of kids, crawfish and beetles, not to mention the golden frog and albino salamander. That night, her grandma takes her to the Bon Odori festival to dance with her ancestors. When Nori wins a trip to Hawaii, she finds herself swimming with a sea turtle, though she doesn’t know how to swim. In mesmerising short stories of black and white artwork with alternating spot colour, Hara draws on East Asian folklore and Japanese culture to create an enchanting milieu that Nori tries to make sense of, wrestling between the reality of what she sees and the legends her grandma shares with her. Rumi Hara was born in Kyoto, Japan, and started printing her comics on a tiny home printer while working as a translator in Tokyo in 2010. After receiving an MFA in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design, Rumi moved to New York in 2014, where she now lives and works as an illustrator and comics artist. Her comics series Nori was first self-published as mini-comics and was nominated for an Ignatz Award in 2018. 228pgs part-colour paperback.
Not A Place To Visit
by T. Edward Bak
Floating World Comics
$12.00
The publisher says:
Not a Place to Visit is a new collection of illustrated essays by Wild Man cartoonist T Edward Bak. Exploring themes of social and ecological flux unique to environments in the western US through concisely rendered reflections, this series examines the migration of the artist’s family to and from Colorado’s San Luis Valley, tourism and salmon on the Columbia River, the fraught ecosystem of southern California’s Salton Sea and fracking along the northern Colorado prairie and Front Range. T Edward Bak is a native of Colorado and a long-time Oregon resident, exploring intersections of culture and ecology in western North America through his comics work. While living in Athens, Georgia, Bak produced the autobiographical comic strip Service Industry for Flagpole Magazine. Bak’s work would later appear in the critically-acclaimed anthologies Drawn & Quarterly Showcase, The Best American Comics and MOME. 120pgs B&W paperback.
Paul Is Dead
by Paolo Baron & Ernesto Carbonetti
Image
$16.99
The publisher says:
November 1966. London. John Lennon can’t speak. He can’t take his eyes off the photo of a car in flames with Paul McCartney’s body inside. His friend is no longer here, and that means the Beatles are no longer here either. But John wants to know the truth, and with George and Ringo, he will begin to re-examine the final hours of Paul’s life. Set in the magical atmosphere of Abbey Road Studios during the writing sessions for Sgt. Pepper, Paul Is Dead is the definitive version of the legend of Paul McCartney’s death. 128pgs colour paperback.
Perramus: The City and Oblivion
by Juan Sasturain & Alberto Breccia, translated by Erica Mena
Fantagraphics
$39.99
The publisher says:
Fantagraphics collects the graphic novel Perramus ― winner of an Amnesty International prize ― in English for the first time. This graphic novel follows the existential odyssey of a political dissident. When he voluntarily loses his memory, he’s dubbed “Perramus” from the brand of his raincoat. During his absurdist travels, he teams up with the gruff Cannelloni; a foreign aviator dubbed “The Enemy” by despot Mr. Whitesnow; and the blind author “Borges” (based on the real-life literary figure), who comes to be a guide. This motley crew journeys to outlandish locales where they encounter a variety of eccentric characters including: a director of trailers for films that will never exist; a guerilla workforce of circus folk, clowns, and puppeteers; a tin-pot dictator with a vast fortune built on an empire of excrement; and Ronald Reagan. This highly anticipated collection is an act of resistance in and of itself -– it was created while Argentina’s military dictatorship was still in power. Perramus is a cartooning tour de force, with a revolutionary message that remains vital to this day. Alberto Breccia (1919–1993) was born in Uruguay and grew up in Argentina. With Hugo Pratt, he cofounded the Pan-American School of Arts in Buenos Aires and the Instituto de Arte. Born Adolfo González Chaves in 1945), Juan Sasturain lives in Buenos Aires. His many professions include university professor, TV host, editor, journalist and writer. He is a recipient of the prestigious Konex award, one of Argentina’s highest honours. Erica Mena is a Puerto Rican poet, translator and book artist, who holds an MFA in poetry from Brown University and an MFA in literary translation from the University of Iowa. Their English translation of the Argentine graphic novel The Eternaut won a 2016 Eisner Award. 508pgs B&W hardcover.
Pollock Confidential
by Onofrio Catacchio
Laurence King
£14.99 / $19.99
The publisher says:
Forceful, tempestuous, and visionary. In an incredibly short and turbulent life Jackson Pollock changed painting forever. This vivid graphic novel delves into his pioneering physical approach to making art, highlights the key characters surrounding the New York mid-century art scene, and reveals the intriguing relationship between Pollock’s painting and the covert activities of the Cold War. Onofrio Catacchio is an Italian graphic novelist best-known for creating the character Stella Rossa. He teaches the Art of the Comic Strip at the Fine Arts Academy in Bologna. 112pgs colour hardcover.
Streets of Paris, Streets of Murder: The Complete Graphic Noir of Manchette & Tardi Vol. 1
by Jacques Tardi & Jean-Patrick Manchette, translated by Kim Thompson & Jenna Allen
Fantagraphics
$29.99
The publisher says:
Streets of Paris, Streets of Murder is the first of two volumes first of two volumes presenting all of the world-renowned hardboiled crime graphic novels (one of which has never before been collected in English) in a luxurious oversize format. In the never-before-collected Griffu, the titular character is a legal advisor, not a private eye, but even he knows that when a sultry blonde appears in his office after hours, he shouldn’t trust her ― and she doesn’t disappoint. Griffu is soon ensnared in a deadly web of sexual betrayal, real estate fraud and murder. In West Coast Blues, a young sales executive goes to the aid of an accident victim, and finds himself sucked into a spiral of violence involving an exiled war criminal and two hired assassins. This volume also offers a bonus, 21-page unfinished story by Manchette and Tardi, as well as a single-page introduction to another incomplete story, both appearing in English for the first time. These gritty stories are like a double shot of Scotch for any fan of unrelenting, uncompromising crime fiction. 168pgs B&W hardcover.
The Art of Luis Garcia
by David Roach & Luis Garcia
Dynamite
$39.99
The publisher says:
Luis Garcia was one of the most talented artists of the legendary Spanish Invasion which transformed Warren comics in the 1970s, creating artwork that was both stunningly attractive and astonishingly realistic. Garcia drew for all the Warren titles but was particularly associated with Vampirella magazine where his innovative artwork and gift for drawing beautiful women was a highlight for several years. But his career encompassed far more than just horror comics; starting off as an artist of seductive romance strips, he went on to find fame in France drawing for Pilote magazine, was a pioneer of autobiographical and political comics, created some of the earliest and most accomplished graphic novels and then changed careers completely to become a world class painter. For the first time anywhere in the world The Art of Luis Garcia brings together each phase of his career to create the first comprehensive retrospective of his amazing artwork. Each chapter details his work and life with historical analysis from artist and author David Roach (The Art of Vampirella, Masters of Spanish Comic Art), together with commentary and reminiscences from Luis Garcia himself. It is a story that brings together his life as a child prodigy in S.I.‘s mythical Barcelona comic studios and working as a model for romantic fotonovela’s, meeting Salvador Dali and John Lennon, moving from swinging London to Hippy Communes, hanging out at Studio 54 and teaching the techniques of Old master Painters like Velazquez. The book is illustrated throughout with some of Garcia’s finest artwork, almost entirely shot from the original pages, and includes several complete stories, some translated into English for the first time. It is a fitting tribute to one of the most creative, ground-breaking artists in comics, and beyond. 230pgs colour hardcover.
The Dark Matter of Mona Starr
by Laura Lee Gulledge
Amulet Books 22.99/22.99 / 22.99/14.99
The publisher says:
A bold and original YA graphic novel about battling your inner darkness-and finding your genius. Sometimes, the world is too much for Mona Starr. She’s sweet, geeky and creative, but it’s hard for her to make friends and connect with other people. She’s like a lot of sensitive teenagers, but in the hands of graphic novelist Laura Lee Gulledge, Mona’s struggle with depression takes on a vivid, concrete form. Mona calls it her Matter. The Matter gets everywhere, telling Mona she’s not good enough, and that everyone around her wishes she would go away. But through therapy, art, writing and the persistence of a few good friends, Mona starts to understand her Matter, and how she – and readers – can turn their fears into strengths. Heartfelt, emotionally vulnerable and visually stunning, The Dark Matter of Mona Starr is a story that takes the inner life of a teenager seriously, while giving readers a new way to look at the universal quest for meaning and connection. Laura Lee Gulledge is the author of the graphic novels Will & Whit and Page by Paige, which was nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award. She is also a teaching artist as seen through her interactive book Sketchbook Dares: 24 Ways to Draw Out Your Inner Artist. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. 192pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist
by Adrian Tomine
Drawn & Quarterly
$24.95
The publisher says:
A comedic memoir about fandom, fame and other embarrassments from the life of a New York Times bestseller. What happens when a childhood hobby grows into a lifelong career? The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, Adrian Tomine’s funniest and most revealing foray into autobiography, offers an array of unexpected answers. When a sudden medical incident lands Tomine in the emergency room, he begins to question if it was really all worthwhile: despite the accolades and opportunities of a seemingly charmed career, it’s the gaffes, humiliations, slights and insults he’s experienced (or caused) within the industry that loom largest in his memory. Tomine illustrates the amusing absurdities of how we choose to spend our time, all the while mining his conflicted relationship with comics and comics culture. But in between chaotic book tours, disastrous interviews and cringe-inducing interactions with other artists, life happens: he fumbles his way into marriage, parenthood and an indisputably fulfilling existence. A richer emotional story emerges as his memories are delineated in excruciatingly hilarious detail. In a bold stylistic departure from his award-winning Killing and Dying, he distills his art to the loose, lively essentials of cartooning, each pen stroke economically imbued with human depth. Designed as a sketchbook complete with placeholder ribbon and an elastic band, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist shows an acclaimed artist at the peak of his career. 200pgs B&W hardcover.
The Postman from Space
by Guillaume Perreault
Holiday House 22.99/22.99 / 22.99/12.99
The publisher says:
A postman’s routine turns into an oddball cosmic adventure when he starts a new route in the far reaches of the galaxy. Bob is a dedicated and deadpan mail carrier who remains unfazed when assigned a new postal route that takes his space ship to surprising planets. One is shaped like a bone and full of cosmic dogs who can’t wait to get a tasty bite out of a postman. The colourful art features extraterrestrials, from a giant blue farmer to a small cactus-like creature, and cinematic views of awe-inspiring alien landscapes. Bob’s adventures to make his five deliveries are as harrowing as they are hilarious in this award-winning graphic novel, perfect for fans of Jeff Smith’s Bone comics. Guillaume Perreault is an illustrator, children’s picture book artist, graphic novelist and advertising artist who has created art for the National Gallery of Canada, Keurig, OWL Magazine and more. He lives in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. 144pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
Tiananmen 1989
by Adrien Gombeaud, Lun Zhang & Ameziane
IDW / Top Shelf
$19.99
The publisher says:
Follow the story of China’s infamous June Fourth Incident – otherwise known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre – from the first-hand account of a young sociology teacher who witnessed it all. Over 30 years ago, on April 15th, 1989, the occupation of Tiananmen Square began. As tens of thousands of students and concerned Chinese citizens took to the streets demanding political reforms, the fate of China’s communist system was unknown. When reports of soldiers marching into Beijing to suppress the protests reverberated across Western airwaves, the world didn’t know what to expect.
Lun Zhang was just a young sociology teacher then, in charge of management and safety service for the protests. Forced to flee China, he became a refugee in France where he now lives and works as a professor of Chinese civilisation. Now, in this powerful graphic novel, Zhang pairs with French journalist and Asia specialist Adrien Gombeaud and artist Ameziane, to share his unvarnished memory of this crucial moment in world history for the first time. Providing comprehensive coverage of the 1989 protests that ended in bloodshed and drew global scrutiny, Zhang includes context for these explosive events, sympathetically depicting a world of discontented, idealistic, activist Chinese youth rarely portrayed in Western media. Many voices and viewpoints are on display, from Western journalists to Chinese administrators. Describing how the hope of a generation was shattered when authorities opened fire on protestors and bystanders, Tiananmen 1989 shows the way in which contemporary China shaped itself. 112pgs colour hardcover.
When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Dial Books
$12.99
The publisher says:
Heartbreak and hope exist together in this remarkable graphic novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. In this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, a young man is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It’s an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. Victoria Jamieson is the creator of the graphic novels All’s Faire in Middle School and Newbery Honor winner Roller Girl. She received her BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a children’s book designer, before becoming a freelance illustrator. She has also worked as a portrait artist aboard a cruise ship, and has lived in Australia, Italy, and Canada. Now she lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. Omar Mohamed spent his childhood at the Dadaab camp, after his father was killed and he was separated from his mother in Somalia. He devoted everything to taking care of his younger brother, Hassan, and to pursuing his education. He now lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife and five children, and works at a centre to help resettle other refugees. He is the founder of Refugee Strong, a non-profit organisation that empowers students living in refugee camps. Iman Geddy, the colourist for this book, is an Atlanta-based designer and illustrator who is passionate about using the graphic arts for social good. Inspired by the geometric harmony of Islamic architecture as well as the colourful equatorial landscapes of eastern Africa, she creates striking art that highlights the beauty of the world around us. 264pgs colour paperback.
Posted: February 5, 2020